Diverse agriculture careers provide the financial security and professional growth many Canadians are looking forI was raised amidst rural Ontario's wide-open pastures and the friendly, familiar faces of people working at the roots of our food supply chain. As the daughter of parents who owned a farm equipment dealership and grew corn and soybeans, my knowledge of agriculture was built by the first-hand experiences of my upbringing.What happens on farms, though, represents just one small piece of our agricultural identity — so much more is involved in putting food on the table. However, given the rapid trend towards urbanization, fewer Canadians are growing up on farms, which means they are becoming further removed from the industry and knowing what it has to offer. This lack of connection appeared in a recent survey commissioned by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, where 54 per cent of Canadians could not name any other occupation besides 'farmer' when asked about jobs in the agriculture sector. When asked to describe a farmer, perceptions were also outdated. According to respondents, farmers lacked diversity: 'older, man, laidback, weathered, and plaid' were common words respondents associated with their idea of the average farmer.These findings are part of the Council's ongoing research to address the growing labour shortage in the sector. Taking the public pulse allows us to detect knowledge gaps for potential job seekers. The finding that most Canadians have a limited understanding of what agriculture jobs look like demonstrates the overwhelming need to educate job seekers on agricultural opportunities across the country.Though farming and ranching can be very rewarding, impactful occupations, the agri-food sector is ripe with opportunities and constantly evolving with technological innovations. We need bright minds to work in our food labs to understand how our food sources or agricultural products can help create a more efficient and sustainable food supply chain. We need grain elevator operators to ensure grain is purchased, transported and stored before it reaches the market. We need agriculture engineers and mechanics to snuff out any equipment malfunctions as an additional way to keep the flow of commodities on pace. And we need veterinarians to provide compassionate care to help ensure our producers raise animals that have lived healthy, full, dignified lives.It is a diverse space, and these careers can provide the impact, financial security and growth that many of our survey respondents want. To appreciate why we must focus a substantial amount of attention on job seekers here in Canada, it's important to know that even though roughly 60,000 foreign workers are brought in each year to work in agriculture, thousands of vacancies remain. On farms alone, we will face a labour gap of 123,000 by 2029, and in the food and beverage sector, vacancies will reach 65,000 by 2025. Businesses needing to fill vacancies face high production losses and delayed expansion plans, while some will have to cease operations altogether.We know we cannot afford these high production losses for an industry that contributes roughly seven per cent of Canada's annual GDP. We know, also from our research, that 54 per cent of Canadians say they would consider switching careers. Roughly 76 per cent of Canadians claim to have a positive view of agriculture. Newcomers, Indigenous populations, and students are the most interested in what the agriculture career space can offer them.We are at a critical crossroads for the agricultural sector in Canada, where we must ensure we can feed Canada and the rest of the world but also keep this country's economic engine roaring. As the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council seeks to change industry perceptions and awareness, I hope that by 2030, everyone, regardless of whether they grew up on a farm, will understand there's a place for them in the agri-food workforce and an opportunity to make an impact if they so choose.Jennifer Wright is the Executive Director of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, the national non-profit focused on addressing human resource issues in Canadian agricultural businesses.